KOKOMO, IN / PRESS RELEASE – United Way serving Howard and Tipton Counties’ Board of Directors has announced a $3,000 grant to help fund Biomedical Services, a program through American Red Cross.

Donations given through the Annual Fundraising Campaign, both individually and through workplace campaigns make this grant possible. United Ways’ donors allow American Red Cross to train and educate volunteers for local blood drives and to market the hospital blood needed locally.

“The need for blood is constant, and there is no substitute,” said Vanessa Davis, Executive Director of American Red Cross. “To meet the nationwide demand, the Red Cross must collect, test, process and deliver lifesaving blood to patients in need. This journey—from blood donor to blood recipient—is complex and costly and our partnership with the United Way of Howard & Tipton Counties allows us to have the resources that we need to do this important work in this community.”

The Biomedical Services program was able to collect 1,705 units of blood in 2018 and engage 157 new blood donors in Howard County. So far, in 2019, American Red Cross is reaching 93 percent of their blood donation goals. American Red Cross expects to expand the number of blood donation partners and engage new donors across Howard County this year.

“The biomedical services program is vital to our community,” said Libby O’Brien, United Way serving Howard and Tipton Counties Interim Executive Director. “We are thankful that our donors make it possible for the Red Cross to continue providing this life saving program for our citizens.”

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